Oct 16 – Eating, Eating, and Eating

Our day began with a light breakfast before going into Dublin for a visit with Sean, a member of our board of reference, who now runs a busy enterprise called Third Space. Third Space is a coffee shop designed by Sean as a non-profit business to be a place where people can come, relax, and interact. The name came from it being another space (the first being home and the second the workplace) where people can interact and be influenced for Christ.

In addition to being on our board of reference, Sean has been a valuable counselor for us for many years. As usual, he had some good input on some ideas we shared about some changes we’re considering for the ministry in the future. After our time with Sean, we met Sammy, Joan, and Cathy returning from Northern Ireland at the Botanical Gardens for lunch. We got to hear about an interview that Joan had on Monday that she was really nervous about but went very well. Her denomination is training lay people to preach in the local churches to fill some of their shortages and Joan was recommended by their pastor for the training. We got an email from her a short while ago that the interview was successful and she was approved for the next step which will be another interview in November.

This is part of what she felt called to leave CBSI to pursue (as well as Sammy taking a class leadership role in their church). We are very encouraged to see how God is using them, their passion to see people studying the Word and growing in Christ, and their continuing heart for the ministry of CBSI. They will remain good friends for life regardless of future involvement with CBSI.

Then we had dinner with Carey who was able to visit us on her way out to a ladies conference on the Europe mainland. She and her husband, Roger, are American missionaries working with HCJB Global and Focus on the Family – Ireland and living in Cork. She has been seeking to get some ladies to use the CBSI studies in Cork and had some good feedback for us on how the leaders of one of the groups responded to it.

Another long day is coming to an end. Thanks for praying for us. Pray particularly for Cathy to get a seat on the flight back to the U.S. tomorrow morning (pray tonight … the flight leaves Dublin at 2:30 am EST, so you will be asleep) and for us as we begin another long day of multiple meetings.